In dismal season, this one hurt more

DURHAM, N.C. – Even after losing more than 100 pounds, Terrapin football coach Ralph Friedgen is a big guy.

But the sight of a wet punt skidding through the grasp of a charging Tony Logan at the end of Saturday’s game at Duke served as a swift punch to the gut that easily felled the ninth-year head coach.

As Duke’s Brandon King pounced on the loose ball, Friedgen doubled over on the sideline, hands on his knees, as if every bit of breath had just been sucked out by the mistake that proved the final nail in a 17-13 loss at Wallace Wade Stadium.

In more ways than one, this loss particularly hurt.

After trudging out to play eight Saturdays in a row and finishing with six disappointing losses to show for it, the Terps limp into their bye week with their worst start in the Friedgen era.

The Terps are off until Nov. 7, when they head back to the Research Triangle for a date at N.C. State. It’s a much needed rest for the weary. But for a squad that’s made three straight bowl appearances, don’t be surprised if they spend it pinching themselves, hoping to awaken from this nightmare season.

Right now, that approach beats the alternative — trying to right a sinking season by solving the season-long problems. As Saturday’s loss once again proved, this team isn’t ready to compete in the ACC, and even with a bye week reprieve, things could get a whole lot worse.

“I told the kids, ‘The only thing I know to do is keep working,’” Friedgen said, echoing a recycled refrain that has lingered through much of the season. “It’s disheartening.”

Less than a month ago, the Terps were 1-0 in ACC play after an unlikely home win against Clemson with three manageable games before the bye week. After finding new and creative ways to lose all three, the Terps have the bye week to figure out why that happened and reassess where the season is going.

“At this point, there’s only so many things to play for,” quarterback Chris Turner said of a season he called “grueling.” “Right now, it’s just pride and having fun and playing the way we know we’re capable of playing and see what happens.” 

Friedgen doesn’t plan to change much at practice through the break. He’s continued to assert his young team is working hard at practice. His biggest hope after losing a couple more starters and key reserves to injury Saturday is to get his struggling team healthy for the season’s final month.

“I see us getting better. I really do,” Friedgen said.

But this latest poor stretch has ensured it will be a long, two-week wait for any sort of redemption.

Perhaps offensive coordinator James Franklin will rethink his decision to call a Turner draw on third-and-three midway through the fourth quarter instead of letting his senior leader try to lead a drive with his arm.

Turner will no doubt rehash his choice to wait an extra beat to force a fourth-quarter pass over the middle that turned into a Vincent Rey interception.

And Logan, who lost his team one last ditch effort to steal a win and some good feeling going into the bye, has some time to consider the play that could cost him his punt return job.

“[It’s the] same as it was last week,” running back Davin Meggett said. “You know, pack it up and try it again next week. Nobody’s given up hope. Nobody’s thrown the towel in.”

Except this time it’s different.

All of a sudden, this team has six losses and a chance for self-reflection about how it put itself in this position.

Turner said he just wants to get away, leave town, “have some alone time.” And after another anemic offensive performance, there are probably some fans who hope he doesn’t bother to come back.

But he’ll be ready to go against the Wolfpack, if for no other reason than it would be rotten to end a pretty good career with a losing performance before a few thousand fans on a rainy day at the ACC’s least imposing venue.

Things are really bad in College Park right now. But Friedgen and the Terps have almost two weeks to get over the body blow of losing to the once-lowly Blue Devils.

They’ll need it because they’re quickly becoming an ACC punching bag.

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